Creative Corner: Ice Cold Palmer X Beats, Specsavers' most valuable portrait and KFC's finger lickin' fork

Happy Friday, everyone. Sliding into a new month and almost halfway through the year already.

Talking of sliding, my first campaign this week sees Cole Palmer nonchalantly glide his way into Beats by Dre, whilst Specsavers opens our eyes to the invaluable work of carers and we’ve a forking great piece of creative from KFC.

Cole Palmer's ice-cold debut for Beats

Beats by Dre has dropped a fresh campaign, and it's a bit of a departure from the usual sports advertising playbook. Teaming up with Chelsea's star midfielder, Cole Palmer, the audio brand has created a spot that's as smooth as an ice rink.

In a campaign titled "Some Play, Others Glide" it sees Palmer effortlessly gliding across the ice, sporting his Beats Studio Pro headphones, to the tune of Lee Hazlewood's 'Your Sweet Love', which adds to the surreal and calming vibe.

This isn't your typical tech product ad. 

There's no product demo, no spec rundown, and not even a callout of the headphone name. It's pure branding, and it's all about associating Beats with a certain vibe: relaxed, confident, and effortlessly cool. It’s a canny nod to Palmer's nickname alta ego, "Cold Palmer", celebrating his composure under pressure.

It perfectly captures Palmer’s natural personality, and as a Chelsea fa,n it obviously brought a wry smile to my face.

The campaign further cements Beats' place in sports culture (as if the often captured headphone sporting players’ walk from coach to changing room hasn’t already), focusing on style and personality rather than just performance, having previously collaborated with figures like Lamine Yamal, Qinwen Zheng, and Kobbie Mainoo.

Specsavers unveils a masterpiece for the unseen

It’s become commonplace to expect tight creative from Specsavers, and its latest campaign doesn’t disappoint. 

Moving beyond the well-trodden path of sight tests and witty billboards, it's launched 'The Most Valuable Portrait': a powerful tribute to the UK's invisible army of unpaid carers. And frankly, it's a sight to behold.

Created in collaboration with acclaimed artist Colin Davidson, known for his deeply empathetic portraits of, amongst others, the late Queen Elizabeth, the centrepiece is a monumental artwork depicting Jaycee La Bouche, an everyday hero who cares for her mother. But this isn't just about art for art's sake. This portrait, in a stroke of genius (sorry puns, you know me), has been symbolically valued at a staggering £184 billion by auction house Roseberys. Why £184 billion? Because that's the estimated economic value unpaid carers contribute to the UK every single year.

It’s a poignant, beautiful campaign which cleverly not only heroes carers but Specsavers Our Home Visits colleagues who see first-hand the incredible support carers give to their loved ones every day.

Run in partnership with Carers UK. It's a smart move, highlighting a tangible service that directly benefits the very people they're championing, as the painting itself will be auctioned, with the money going to the charity. 

As a carer to my mum, it's a powerful reminder that sometimes, it isn't about what you see, but about who you see – and, more importantly, who you don't see. Bravo, Specsavers. Bravo.

The Finger Lickin' Fork: bespoke bling for the rice bowl revolution

KFC. The brand built on buckets, secret spices, and the delightful anarchy of finger lickin' good chicken. 

For decades, embracing the glorious mess has been part of the experience. But what happens when you introduce a dish that, by its very nature, challenges this hallowed tradition? Enter the KFC Rice Bowl, and with it, a truly unique (and no doubt soon to be coveted) solution: the Finger Lickin’ Fork.

This isn't just any fork. It wasn't born in a boardroom from abstract ideation. It came directly from the legions of KFC fans on social media grappling with the conundrum of how to enjoy their saucy new Rice Bowls without resorting to a full-on finger-licking free-for-all. This is KFC taking fan feedback literally, adding a dash of luxury, and stirring in a generous helping of unadulterated wit. Forget humble plastic; we're talking about a bespoke utensil crafted by jeweller Sam Ozanne.

Shaped like a miniature silver hand, it's both practical and a knowing wink to the brand's iconic tagline. 

It's a high-fashion, tongue-in-cheek answer to a common problem. 

These handcrafted forks will be handed out to a select number of KFC’s social fans, which is sure to create a legendary piece of brand lore.

It’s a brilliantly bizarre piece of creative that perfectly captures the spirit of KFC: finger lickin' good, even when you're using a fork.

Well, that wraps up another Creative Corner!

As ever, if you’re launching something that deserves a spot in Creative Corner, or have seen a campaign you just love, please do share it with us. Email paul.lucas@fanclubpr.com